Oak Tree Farmhouse, Including Outbuilding Adjoining To West

DOWN ST MARY SS 70 SW 2/178 Oak Tree Farmhouse, including 26.8.65 outbuilding adjoining to west

• II

Farmhouse. Mid C17 with probably earlier core, late C17-early C18 improvements and extension. Plastered cob on rubble footings; stone rubble or cob stacks topped with C20 brick; concrete tile roof of 1983 (formerly thatch), slate roof to outbuildings. Main house has 3-room-and-through-passage plan with inner room at right (east) end. Late C17-early C18 stair block and dairy projecting to rear of hall. End stacks to service and inner rooms, the latter projecting, and axial hall stack backing onto passage. 2 storeys. Regular but not symmetrical 4-window front of C20 iron-framed casements with glazing bars. Large stone buttresses between windows prop the internal crosswalls. Passage doorway left of centre now contains Roof plank door and monopitch and slate-roofed porch on plain timber posts. Roof is gable-ended. Rear wall is exposed cob and devoid of fenestration. Stair and dairy block includes a late C17-early C18 oak 3-light casement with flat-faced mullions given shallow internal ogee mouldings, internal iron bars and containing rectangular panes of leaded glass. Interior: shows only C17, C18 and later features, but the layout suggests that earlier features may be hidden. All internal crosswalls are cob and full height. The service room has C17 crossbeam, soffit-chamfered with scroll-nick stops, and massive kitchen fireplace with large blocked side oven and blocked doorway to rear smoking chamber. Fireplace lintel is not exposed. Hall has C17 soffit-chamfered and bar runout stopped crossbeam, and granite fireplace with its lintel also hidden. C18 cupboard at upper end of hall has fielded panel door. Also cream oven alcove. Early C18 3-fielded panel doors to inner room and stair block. Service room does not have exposed beam and its fireplace is blocked. Stairs replaced circa 1930. First floor has some C18 3-fielded panel doors including one to chamber over dairy. Fireplace in chamber over inner room has late C17-early C18 fireplace with soffit-chamfered mantel shelf. Roof completely renewed circa 1983. Adjoining to left of main house is an agricultural store which was built in C17 as a 1-room plan cottage with end stack (now in party wall with C18 byre). It is 2 storeys with 1 window front of C19 casements with glazing bars and door to. right. Interior has original soffit-chamfered and scroll-stopped crossbeam and rubble fireplace has plain oak lintel. Roof C18 A-frame trusses with pegged lap- jointed collars and X-apexes.

Listing NGR: SS7305403690